​Intention is not a condition for the disbelief of the mushrik!

The student:

“(Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:) The eighteenth. That when uttering Shirk with one single statement; then neither the fact he believes it in his heart, nor the absence of aversion towards shirk, is a condition for the disbelief of the one who pronounces it.”

Shaykh Al-Fawzaan:

“When he pronounces shirk… When he pronounces shirk, like when he calls upon other than Allah, or seeks deliverance from other than Allah; then he has committed shirk!

Even if he says: “I did not intend this in my heart.” I did not intend this in my heart… this does not justify for him to pronounce words of shirk, rather he has to avoid them.

And it is of no use to him that he says: “I did not have the intention”, (because) the legal (Islamic) rulings are built upon what is apparent. With regards to the hearts; then only Allah Knows them. Therefore, whoever commits shirk; upon him we apply the rulings of the mushrik. And we do not say: “We do not know his heart, we do not know his intention…”.

The intention does not concern us. The intention is up to Allah, Glorified is He. For us is merely what is apparent. So whoever displays shirk by way of his statement or his deed, then we judge him with shirk, up until he repents to Allah, Glorified is He. Yes.”

The student:

(Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:) “The nineteenth. That the one who pronounces it (shirk), is not excused, even if he intended to accomplish an important goal by way of it.”

The shaykh:

“Yes. That the one who pronounces shirk is not excused, even if he intended a goal from among the goals and did not intend it (the shirk), but intended to fulfil his need or a goal from among the goals. One should not be easy-going with regards to shirk… never! Rather it is mandatory to avoid it and to distance oneself from it, forever and ever! And he does not enter into it nor does he deal with it, in whatever situation. Yes.”

Shaykh Saalih bin Fawzaan Al-Fawzaan, may Allah preserve him

Translated by Salafi-Dawah.com.Source: Ad-Durar as-Sanniyyah fil-Ajwibah an-Najdiyyah, 19/90.Use the player below or download the MP3 here.